June 14, 2023

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BG’s Positively Speaking

A Well Deserved Reward

Many in our society are too eager to take the rewards at the back end without contributing to the effort at the front end. They have an attitude of ‘entitlement.’ Asking, “What can I get out of it?” instead of, “What can I put into it?”.

A farmer earns rewards after the harvest, putting in the effort upfront, preparing the ground, planting, nursing the seeds, and making sure they are not crowded out by other species and are adequately irrigated. Then after harvesting the crop, the farmer collects the back-end reward. Having no idea at the start what that final reward may be, they know what might come if they do everything right. They will take a lesser reward if they mess up or Mother Nature throws them a curve. They are only ‘entitled’ to the results of the harvest.

When there is talk of ‘Entitlements,’ usually by our politicians, it’s generally focused on Health care, Education, Unemployment benefits and social programs. There’s no mention of corporate CEOs with salaries ranging from $1- 5 million with multi-million dollar exit packages. Many leave their companies in a worse condition than when they took over. Would our economy be better if they were paid by performance, not ‘entitlement’?   What about those politicians who have exorbitant pension plans? Are they not guilty of ‘entitlement’?

These questions are not political ones but ethical and moral ones. Is it not ethical and moral that we are rewarded for what we contribute to society and take care of those who are unable? We can all contribute to a happier, fairer, and more caring community if we only ask ourselves, “What can I put into it?”

Then We Can Have That Well Deserved Reward!

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Traffic Stop

A patrol officer noticed a car weaving all over the road. Fearful that it might be an intoxicated driver, he quickly drove his motorcycle alongside the vehicle. Looking through the open window, he saw an older lady ….. Knitting. “Pull Over,” he yelled to the lady. “No,” she replied sweetly, “…. Scarf.”

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Editors Quote Book

“Success isn’t about how much money you make,  It’s about the difference you make in peoples lives.”

—Michelle Obama

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The American Way

Two Saudi Arabians are discussing oil pricing when one of them says, “Let’s do it the American way, We don’t raise the price, we just make the barrels smaller.”

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Group Names

We have all heard of, A pride of lions or, A gaggle of geese … but how might we classify some groups of humans. Here are some suggestions: • A brat of boys • A giggle of girls • A stagger of drunks • A tedium of accountants • A stitch of doctors • A whine of losers • A jerk of politicians.

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Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

 

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Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

ARIES Mar. 21-Apr. 19:  Give some thought to improvements you want to make to your home. It pays to plan ahead.

TAURUS Apr. 20-May 20:  Summer days are conducive to extra sleep. Take advantage of any time you get extra shuteye.

GEMINI May 21-June 20:  Socialize with friends and network with new people simultaneously. You never know what will come from it.

CANCER June 21-July 22: Adjust your spending so you can save more. We are living in changing times. Protect your financial security.

LEO July 23-Aug 22: Things often take longer than we expect. Start your new project now and give yourself a head start.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22:   Your productivity will be high during the next couple of weeks. Keep up the pace and capitalize on it.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22:  One good friend is worth more than all the lovers combined. Show your appreciation to a true friend.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21:   Take care that you don’t vent your frustrations on innocent bystanders. Keep control of your emotions.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21:  Emotions are high, and tempers flair. Remove yourself from the situation and stay away until things quiet down.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19:   Focus on things where you can make a difference. Worrying about things you can’t control is pointless.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18: Keep your guard up; someone may have a grudge to settle and is prepared to do battle. Don’t give in.

PISCES Feb. 19-Mar. 20:    Do your due diligence. Read the fine print, and check out the facts. But then, don’t sign anything until you are sure.

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Dr. Emily Stowe was Canada’s first female medical doctor, born on May 1. 1831, in Norwich, Ontario. She made a lasting impact as a leader of the country’s women’s suffrage movement.

In 1852, after years as a teacher, Stowe’s college application was denied because she was a woman. Stowe eventually found a school that would accept her and later became Canada’s first female principal. However, after her husband developed TB, she decided to get into medicine.

Unable to study in Canada as a woman, she had to go to New York, where she met famed suffragette Susan B. Anthony. In I876,  she founded the Toronto Women’s Literary Club, later known as the Canadian Women’s Suffrage Association. She died on April 30, 1903, in Toronto, a decade-and-a-half before women were granted the right to vote.

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The Paint Job

A homeless man knocks on a woman’s door. “Think you could spare a few bucks? Maybe some food?” The woman thinks for a few seconds, then says, “You could do some handy work around here. I’ll give you $30 if you paint my porch. There’s some green paint and a brush right around the corner there; use that.” He thanks her and heads off for the paint. She returns inside and resumes her knitting.

After about an hour, she gets up to check on his progress. The man is nowhere to be seen, and the porch hasn’t been touched. Just then, the man appears around the corner of the house, green paint splattered on his clothes and beard, a broad grin on his face. “All done, ma’am. By the way, it’s a Cadillac, not a Porsche.”

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The Reunion

Mary sat in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist. First, she noticed his diploma on the wall, which bore his full name. Then,  suddenly,  remembers a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name who had been in her high school class some 30-odd years ago. Could he be the guy she had a secret crush on back then?

Upon seeing him, however, she quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with a deeply lined face was too old to have been her classmate. After he examined her teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School. “Yes. Yes, I did. I’m a Mustang,” he gleamed with pride. “When did you graduate?” she asked. “In 1975. Why do you ask?”  “You were in my class!” she exclaimed. He looked at me closely. Then, that old, balding, wrinkled-faced, gray-haired, decrepit man asked: “What did you teach?”

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Visiting Muskoka

Visitor: “The black flies are awfully thick around here. Don’t you ever shoo them?”

Local: with a straight face. “Nope, we just let them fly around barefooted.”

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The Last Word

The best way to cheer yourself up is to
cheer someone else up.

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